.kiwi is an Internet generic top-level domain with emphasis on New Zealand. It employs the colloquial term kiwi, used to refer to New Zealanders.[1] It is the first, and presently only, New Zealand-specific top level domain name approved by ICANN.[1]

.kiwi
Introduced25 November 2013
TLD typeGeneric top-level domain
StatusActive
RegistryDot Kiwi Ltd. (operated by InternetNZ)
SponsorDot Kiwi Ltd.
Intended useEntities connected with New Zealand
DNSSECYes
Registry websitehttps://hello.kiwi/

As of January 2024 there are just under 11,000 registered .kiwi domains, connected to 8,633 active websites.[2]

History

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Dot Kiwi Limited reportedly spent a "seven-figure" sum securing the new top level domain from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).[3]

The domain launched with a 'landrush' period in March 2014 after two years of planning.[4]

In May 2014, shortly after launch, 4,600 .kiwi domains had been activated.[5] As at the first anniversary on 1 May 2015, 12,000 .kiwi domains had been registered. Dot Kiwi Limited claimed that this meant .kiwi was in the top 25 per cent of new domains released by ICANN.[6]

The .kiwi top level domain is not to be confused with .kiwi.nz, which launched as a new option under the .nz top level domain in August 2012.[7]

The technical backend was originally provided by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority's Fury product.[8] In 2024, InternetNZ signed a contract with Dot Kiwi Ltd. to provide registry and registrar support services for the domain.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Dot kiwi domain name reservations set to begin". TVNZ. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  2. ^ "List of registered .KIWI domains". Zonefiles. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Dot kiwi enters internet domain names". Newshub. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  4. ^ ".kiwi domain names go live after two years of planning". Scoop News. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Thousands switch to .kiwi domain". Stuff. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Dot Kiwi Celebrates First Anniversary". Scoop News. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  7. ^ Bell, Stephen (28 August 2012). "Dot Kiwi fails to knock out .kiwi.nz". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  8. ^ "CIRA becomes first new gTLD back-end since 2012". DomainIncite. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  9. ^ "InternetNZ providing services to .kiwi". news.fuseworksmedia.com. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.

Further reading

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